, 1887-01-21


he was by her side.
Il knew / could not be mistaken"
lie said, breathlessly; but you of all
people, and at this hour. What in the
world brings you into this region?"
He is holding her hand in his warm,
friendly clasp. and looking down search
ingly at her half-averted face.
"Oh, l was walking away from the
f%uries, she said, trying to speak lightly;
but they have come with me. l think
l really did not know where l was go
ing. | only wanted to walk. Did you
ever rave that feeling. Sydney. that
you were too unhappy to be quietl"
She asks me il l have ever had that
feeling, All, Marie, there are few feel
ings, born of u~nhappiness, that l have
not had. You ought TO know that, my
dear"
"But-but they pass away some time.
don't they" she asked, wistfully. PEG
pie can't go oil suffering-some change,
some relief, must come"
Il don't know" he answered, with a
long sigh. Perhaps. have not found
it yet
"Oh, Sydney she said, passionately,
with a wild burst of tears. Sydney,
Sydney" She laid her cheek on his
shoulder. sobbing like a child.
He had taken the umbrella from her
hand, and held its shelter between them
and passers-by. Sydney's knowledge of
suffering had made him very tender to-
ward the pain of others. He allowed
his companion to weep unquestioned,
patting gently from time to time the lit
tie quivering fingers that clutched his
arm.
How good you are." she stammered,
whisperingly. at length. "Oh. Sydney.
how could you forgive mellow could
you ever look at me again, if l have
made you ~suffer-like this? never
knew it could be so terrible, | did not
dream of what you felt when we parted;
you were so noble and so good. You
never made me understand how cruel
Oh, and you bore it all? l can pity you
now"
Yes, dears' he said, tenderly. a am
glad to hear you say that. l am glad
you have, at last, some pity to give
me-"
"Oh, but you do not need any more.
Surely you can not care still as you
used to"
"Oh, hush!" Sydney interrupted, very
gently, Hush, my dear. hush, Marie!
You have never understood my love if
you think it could change or pass away
in a few months or years"
And you do love me this minute
now-asy you did them
"Always-alwaysl"
But if l should tell you that | had
thrown my heart away, unasked, I'M
s~ought-oh, 80 hopelessly and vainly!
and if 1 should say to you, viii you
take my promise to be your wife-ah.
not soon, but some time, hen l am a
better and happier woman?-if l should
ask you to accept the poor service of my
life and let me try to love you-would
that atone a little for the pain and
trouble of the pastf'
"Oh, Marie, you do not mean it," His
grasp frightened on her fingers. "Do you
think what you are sayingY"
"Yes, yes, yesl-if you will take my
poor half broken heart-but not yeti"
she checked herself, ~piteously. 81 could
not love you yet-bye-and-bye it all may
come right. And, meanwhile, if you
wish it, we can be engaged. You must
stay near me. Sydney, and be good to
me. Oh. help me?-help me to live.
You know how hard it is-how impossi-
BILE it seems that joy or hope can ever
come again!"
"You nave given joy and hope to me.
l know, he said, in a low, happy voice.
II am willing to wait for love-as long
as ever you like, darling, for it is sure
to comet"
"But think-oh, Fate is strange.-
think, if | had not met you!" Marie
leaned more closely on his arm.
Fate knows what. she is about" Sgd
ney answered, smiling down at the
earnest, pale face. You were obliged
to meet me. Under the circumstance
nothing else could have happened"
Fate did know what she was about,
as she usually does, if minds finite could
but compass her infinite plans. A few
day. later brought to Sydney Worth the
unexpected fulfllment of a hope that
he had patiently placed a long way off
in the future-the full bestowal of Marie
Pirot's love.
They were driving through the park
in a brilliant October sunset, and sgd
ney had been talking brightly of vari-
GUS matters of interest, when he threw
his head back with a short laugh, and
said, in a kind of triumphant tone:
well, l was pleased to-day, Marie.
You remember that fellow l told you of
that had defaulted from our office with
n lot of money last week."
mo" said Marie, vaguely. did you
tell me?'
"Come to think of it, l didn't" said
Sydney, smiling. That's so. / was
afraid it might annoy you. Well, it's
all right now. They've got him-at
least, not him, for he gave them the sip
at the last moment; but the moneys
safe. lie took away 81, 900, and we've
recovered all but 5000; that he spent. l
tell you we've beer lucky, and so has he.
It's n curious thing" pursued Sydney,
thoughtfully; -but-I'm awfully glad the
scamp escaped"
"Glad?" repeated Marie. solemnly.
"Oh, why? He will be sure to victimize
other poor people,
"Other rich people" said Sydney. cor
rectingly. "Of course he will, for it
turns out that he is a regular confidence
man; but you have no idea how much |
liked him. We all did. He came to us
about six months ago, and said he had
just arrived in the country, and was
quite friendless. Well, the firm took
him on trust, actually. He had gotten
himself up like a German student-long
hair and broken English, and he had the
loveliest tenor voicel Old Bond was
fot.l.. tnfataptaI xrttb tl,1 7.